My Hunting Panther

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Ah, normal inefficient combustion! Smell those unburnt hydrocarbons! It takes me back to the days of my youth when muscle cars idled like that. I'm sure it did me no harm.

[MrChef]

Worked on finishing up the Schurzen today-












Got em overlapping correctly for Mr Bix.

Next working on flame cuts, then armor texture.

Chef

[HERMAN BIX]

good work, when you brush past a sticky-outy thingy they should keep on sliding & not catch & tear off!
I made my mounts from brass flat bar of sufficient length to go into the hull thru holes drilled in place to accept them. Gel super glue in copious amounts to hold the mounts in place on both sides of the hull, they are pretty rugged.

[MrChef]

Tonight part 1 of 2 step armor texture and some random flame cuts-

[Jofaur86]

Good morning,
I remain ebhai in front of such work . do you have a gift? how do you get this gritty texture, and the hot metal cutouts? each time, personally, I dare not touch, for fear of doing something stupid, it's great art

[HERMAN BIX]

The glue and stipple method ?

[MrChef]

First I learned this process directly from Martin Kovac "Night Shift" on Youtube= https://youtu.be/TW65lwwfJqk Everybody's favorite armor modeler

I will take credit for trying it myself for the first time here with this model and sharing it with you all.

The glue and stipple method ?

Yess Sir! That's step 1.

Tonight was step 2. Thinning Tamiya Putty basic with Extra Thin Cement so it makes a wash, then brushing it on the model, letting it dry and very lightly sanding it with 1500 to 2000 grit sand paper.



Masked everything off-



And went to town brushing it on where I had already stippled with the glue previously-




This stuff dries in a few minutes to the touch. So soon I removed the masking to see how it worked out.





I'm going to let everything cure for a bit before I sand it. I have a few other things to work on in the meantime. Sanding will complete the rolled armor effect I'm trying for. The stippling glue and putty combined create a random surface.

So next is sanding. Then cleaning up the flame cuts. Then weld seams.

My goal is to start painting Monday since the weather will be warm enough and I spray paint outside. Much to do.

Chef

[MrChef]

T considered several ways to construct the mounting points or hangers for the side skirts. This is what I decided on this time. All fabricated out of Styrene sheets, square stock rods and I-beams. I used Tamiya Quick set Extra Thin cemenO to "set" the pieces and then BSI CA glue to attach securely. I cut notches into the hangers and decided on tiny silicone O-rings as flexible stops to keep the skirts in place but also able to be removed easily and flexible enough to pop off if The tank hits any "sticky out" things.








These may detract from the authenticity of the model but this is my first time doing this. And the available for purchase sets are extremely similar sans the flexible rubber O-rings.After all this won't be a shelf queen, it'll be an active unit that needs to be accessed and robust.

I did have a good suggestion after posting my progress for using mini magnets. Which I think is a brilliant idea. I've seen them used on the hull to replace the screws and on the air tubes on the Tiger I early air cleaners. So that idea is going into the book for next time next model or upgrade down the road.

Chef

[Panzermechaniker]

I went the O ring route myself on the skirts I bought for a Taigen Panther from RC Tank.de. My problem was because the Panther and Jagdpanthers skirts are very close to the tracks that even the usual Taigen problem of the pins working out even a small bit would constantly rip them off so I ditched them in the end as I run my tanks very hard outside. I might have another go on my Jagdpanther with those ones that were posted on Hobby Squawk from battlegroundmodels.com

[MrChef]

The weather hasn't been cooperating here lately for painting outside so not much progress in that direction.

But i had some time today to do one of my favorite things Metal Tracks! I dunno I just love weathering tracks and metal one are my favorite.

So first blackened them with Brownells Oxpho-blue my current favorite product-



Then first I used some Mig Ammo Earth Enamel with a bit of Factory Dirt Pigment-



Then on to Mig Ammo Dark Mud Enamel splattered with a brush and bamboo stick. Then dusted with a mix of Mig Russian Earth and Factory Dirt Pigments before drying-

Some scuffing with a sanding stick-


So relaxing. Can't wait for it to clear up and warm up so I can at least get my Primer coat down.